7 Healthy Food Tips for College Students

A common stereotype regarding college students is that they eat quick, cheap, and microwavable ramen noodles at every meal. This could be from the small food budget that college students often have or the lack of stoves in most dorms. Unfortunately, these highly processed noodles do little to feed the brain or energy levels. What college students need is a healthy, well-rounded diet. This may seem impossible when many colleges restrict the heat sources you can have in your dorm room, but you will quickly see that it is not. Check out these tips.

1. Grow a Small Herb Garden

Have you ever wished for a little more flavor for your food? Not only do herbs contain high levels of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, they are a great source of flavor. They are also rather cheap to grow, especially since you can monitor your clippings to continuously encourage new growth. There are even some herbs that grow year-round, including oregano, basil, chives, rosemary, and parsley. You can find some tips about growing each of these herbs and several others.

2. Add Fresh Produce to Your Diet

When you buy what is in season, you will be surprised at how affordable produce is. Additionally, many produce items can be enjoyed raw, as a smoothie, in a salad, on sandwiches, or with a dip. Fresh fruits and vegetables are always good sources of vitamins and minerals that your brain needs to function. Find out what grows in your area seasonally and challenge yourself to try something new.

3. Learn About Mug Cooking

Eggs are a great way to get protein into your diet, but students often overlook being able to cook them. In recent times, coffee mug cooking has become popular. All you need is a few eggs, some vegetables or herbs of your choice, and a microwave, and you will be enjoying a hearty meal in no time. You’ll need to adjust the time based on the specific microwave, but with a little tweaking, all the students on your floor will be asking for your method.

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4. Drink More Smoothies

While stoves are off-limits, a blender may fall under your dorms standards. Smoothies are a great way to make quick, nutritious food on the go. Just toss in the ingredients, blend for a minute or two, and enjoy! Another great thing about smoothies is that they are often full of nutritious ingredients. For example, check out this Mango Chili Avocado Smoothie—it has vitamin-rich mango, Omega-3 rich avocados, and plenty of flavor.

5. Choose Healthier Snacks

Being unprepared is one of the quickest ways to ruin your diet. After all, why go out of the way to eat healthy when you can grab a quick slice of pizza from the cafeteria? Stock yourself up on room-stable snacks like pretzels, rice cakes, dried fruit, nuts, and seeds. Peanut butter is another great option since you can spread it on multigrain crackers or dip apple slices in it.

6. Choose Energizing Snacks

One of the worst things you can do when you are staying up late studying or finishing a paper is to fill your body with junk food. It can leave you feeling sluggish, not to mention lead to weight gain. Instead, choose healthier snacks like the ones above. Some other easy options that are good for you include tuna, oatmeal, and yogurt. Be sure to eat foods that are nutrient-rich and filling. Choose things full of protein and fiber if you want to stay full and prevent excessive snacking.

7. Have Your Own Salads Any Time

Whether you want to freshen up your sandwich or enjoy a salad, growing a window garden can be a great way to add some greens to your diet. Green vegetables are often rich sources of chlorophyll, antioxidants, fiber, calcium, zinc, and iron, as well as vitamins A, C, and K. Additionally, with the right care, you can easily save space by growing a small garden of lettuce, kale, spinach, and other leafy greens outside your dorm window. If you want the freshest greens, use this tip and harvest the greens early in the morning. This is when they are at peak freshness.

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